Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Comparative Experimental Study of Flow through Various Types of Simulated Vegetation

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Processes Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The paper aims at providing detailed data of main flow characteristics in a vegetated channel. Experiments were performed in a laboratory flume with three types of artificial vegetation elements, simulating submerged small plants with or without foliage: (a) simple rods; (b) compound elements consisting of spheres fixed on top of thin rods; (c) compound elements consisting of flexible (plastic) needles arranged axisymmetrically on top of the same rods. For all types of elements, two patterns of placement were tested, on a parallel and a staggered mesh, at respective plan densities of 100 and 200 stems/m2. Measurements were made using a three-dimensional ADV probe at selected locations within the vegetation array in the middle part of the channel. Vertical profiles of the (temporal mean) longitudinal velocities, turbulent intensities and turbulent shear stresses were obtained and are compared. The results show considerable differences in the flow conditions, depending on the location in the array, density/pattern and type of element. The velocity reduction within the canopy is more pronounced for the compound elements regardless of the type of foliage. The turbulent shear stresses are considerably higher above the top of the canopy than below for all cases. The presence of vegetation also affects the flow downstream.

Article Highlights

  • Velocity and turbulence measurements within and above submerged vegetation are reported.

  • Three types of artificial vegetation with similar stems are compared.

  • The effects of vegetation density, type of foliage and location in the array are assessed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

Availability of data and material:

Data and additional material may be requested by contacting the corresponding author (arismaur@central.ntua.gr).

Code Availability

Not applicable.

References

  • Aberle J, Järvela J (2013) Flow resistance of emergent rigid and flexible floodplain vegetation. J Hydraul Res 51(1):33–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2012.754795

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carollo FG, Ferro V, Termini D (2002) Flow velocity measurements in vegetated channels. J Hydraul Eng 128:664–673

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen YC, Kao SP, Lin JY, Yang HC (2009) Retardance coefficient of vegetated channels estimated by the Froude number. Ecol Eng 35:1027–1035

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunn C, Lopez F, Garcia MH (1996) Mean flow and turbulence in a laboratory channel with simulated vegetation. Hydraulic Eng. Ser. 51, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA

  • Fairbanks JD (1998) Velocity and turbulence characteristics in flows through rigid vegetation. MSc Dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA

  • Ghisalberti M, Nepf HM (2002) Mixing layers and coherent structures in vegetated aquatic flows. Journal of Geophysical Research 107(C2):3 – 1–3–11. https://doi.org/10.1029/2001JC000871

  • Green JC (2005) Velocity and turbulence distribution around lotic macrophytes. Aquat Ecol 39:1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Järvela J (2002) Flow resistance of flexible and stiff vegetation: a flume study with natural plants. J Hydrol 269:44–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kasiteropoulou D, Michalolias N, Κeramaris Ε, Liakopoulos A (2017) Numerical modelling and analysis of turbulent flow in an open channel with submerged vegetation. Environ Processes 4:47–61. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40710-017-0235-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Wang Y, Anim DO, Tang C, Du W, Ni L, Yu Z, Acharya K (2014) Flow characteristics in different densities of submerged flexible vegetation from an open-channel flume study of artificial plants. Geomorphology 204:314–324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu D, Diplas P, Fairbamks JD, Hodges CC (2008) An experimental study of flow through rigid vegetation. J Phys Res 113:F04015. https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JF001042

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • López F, García M (2001) Mean flow and turbulence structure of open-channel flow through non-emergent vegetation. J Hydraul Eng 127:392–402

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lou S, Chen M, Ma G, Liu S, Zhong G, Zhang H (2021) Modelling of stem-scale turbulence and sediment suspension in vegetated flow. J Hydraul Res 59(3):355–377. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2020.1780491

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luhar M, Nepf HM (2011) Flow-induced reconfiguration of buoyant and flexible aquatic vegetation. Limnol Oceanogr 56:2003–2017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mavrommatis A, Christodoulou G (2016) Flow field experiments in a channel with artificial vegetation. Proceedings of 13th International Conference on Protection and Restoration of the Environment, Mykonos, Greece, 3–8 July, pp 26–31, ISBN 978-960-6865-94-7

  • Mavrommatis A, Christodoulou G (2019) Comparative study of flow through vegetation stems with and without foliage. Proceedings of 16th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology (CEST2019), Rhodes, Greece, 4–7 September, paper no. CEST2019_00188, https://cest2019.gnest.org/sites/default/files/presentation_file_list/cest2019_00188_oral_paper.pdf

  • Mavrommatis A, Christodoulou G (2020) Experimental study of flow through vegetation stems with foliage. Proceedings of 15th International Conference on Protection and Restoration of the Environment, Patras, Greece, pp 129–136, ISBN 978-618-82337-2-0

  • Mulahasan S, Stoesser T (2017) Flow resistance of in-line vegetation in open channel flow. Int J River Basin Manage 15(3):329–334

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nepf HM (2012) Hydrodynamics of vegetated channels. J Hydraul Res 50:262–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nepf HM, Vivoni ER (2000) Flow structure in depth-limited, vegetated flow. J Phys Res 105:28547–28557

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nikora V, Larned S, Nikora N, Debnath K, Cooper G, Reid M (2008) Hydraulic resistance due to aquatic vegetation in small streams: Field study. J Hydraul Eng 134:1326–1332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Righetti M, Armanini A (2002) Flow resistance in open-channel flows with sparsely distributed bushes. J Hydrol 269:55–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shi H, Liang X, Huai W, Wang Y (2019) Predicting the bulk average velocity of open-channel flow with submerged rigid vegetation. J Hydrol 572:213–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siniscalchi F, Nikora V (2013) Dynamic reconfiguration of aquatic plants and its interrelations with upstream turbulence and drag forces. J Hydraul Res 51:46–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Souliotis D, Prinos P (2008) Turbulence in vegetated flows: Volume-average analysis and modelling aspects. Acta Geophys 56:894–917

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Souliotis D, Prinos P (2011) Effect of a vegetation patch on turbulent channel flow. J Hydraul Res 49:157–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stamou AI, Papadonikolaki G, Gkesouli A, Nikoletopoulos A (2012) Modeling the effect of vegetation on river floodplain hydraulics. Global NEST J 14(3):371–377

    Google Scholar 

  • Stephan U, Gutkecht D (2002) Hydraulic resistance of submerged flexible vegetation. J Hydrol 269:27–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stone BM, Shen HT (2002) Hydraulic resistance of flow in channels with cylindrical roughness. J Hydraul Eng 128:500–506. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2002)128:5(500)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tanaka T, Ohmoto T (2017) Influence of longitudinally discontinuous vegetation arrangement pattern on turbulent structure in open channel. Proceedings of 37th IAHR World Congress, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 13–18 August, pp 2793–2802, ISSN 1562–6865 (Online) - ISSN 1063–7710 (Print)

  • Tsihrintzis VA, Madiedo EE (2000) Hydraulic resistance determination in marsh wetlands. Water Resour Manage 14(4):285–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsihrintzis VA (2001) Discussion on Variation of roughness coefficients for unsubmerged and submerged vegetation. J Hydraul Eng 127(3):241–244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson CAME, Stoesser T, Bates PD, Batemann Pinzen A (2003) Open channel flow through different forms of submerged flexible vegetation. J Hydraul Eng 29:847–853

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Velasco D, Bateman A, Redondo JM, Demedina V (2003) An open channel flow experimental and theoretical study of resistance and turbulent characterization over flexible vegetated linings. Flow, Turbulence and Combustion 70:69–88

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was partly funded by the NTUA Research Committee project “Research on problems of open channel flow and hydraulic structures”.

Funding

This research was partly funded by the NTUA Research Committee project “Research on problems of open channel flow and hydraulic structures”.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Hydraulics Laboratory, School of Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 5 Heroon Polytechniou, 15780, Zografou, Greece

    A. Mavrommatis & G. Christodoulou

Authors
  1. A. Mavrommatis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. Christodoulou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

A. Mavrommatis was responsible for carrying out the experiments, data processing and analysis, preparation of figures and co-writing the manuscript; G. Christodoulou was responsible for the research methodology, project supervision, evaluation of results and co-writing the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Mavrommatis.

Ethics declarations

Conflicts of interest/Competing interests

Not applicable.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mavrommatis, A., Christodoulou, G. Comparative Experimental Study of Flow through Various Types of Simulated Vegetation. Environ. Process. 9, 33 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40710-022-00576-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40710-022-00576-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation